Chlorine, Hair, and Skin

2016 was a massive year for the sport of swimming. The Rio games featured some of the most exhilarating races, storylines and epic memes (#phelpsface) in the sport. Who didn't love watching Ryan Held show pure joy and emotion of winning his first gold medal, juxtaposed with Michael Phelps winning his 99th? Or the three-way tie for the silver medal in the men’s 100 meter fly?

At SwimSpray, we are excited as more and more adult and masters swimmers enjoyed the benefits of eliminating chlorine from their hair and skin. An increasing number of adults have been reaching out to us and share their “SwimSpray Story” along with the incredible “before and after” effects they now experience when using SwimSpray after swimming.

In return, we asked several of our masters swimming friends, “Why is 2017 the best year to be an adult or masters swimmer?”

Based on their responses, these are five reasons is great to be a masters swimmer in 2017:

Stay Connected with a network of friends: Let’s face it, swimming is not an easy sport to do aloe. Swimming to improve your health, stay fit, be competitive and work on your technique are all great goals. Having a group of like-minded friends to go through the process with you is even better. Dan Phillips, 53, of Puget Sound Masters said "Swimming with a masters team is great because it has helped me build a group of friends who are positive regardless of what life has thrown at them.” Mollie Grover, 35, of Potomac Valley Masters Swimming agrees that friendships are the best part of continuing to swim in 2017. “Masters Swimming has some of the nicest, friendliest people out there. Swimming in 2017 is fun because these are the people to keep you accountable on your fitness goals,” per Mollie.

It’s still the best calorie burn: Regardless of your age or the latest workout craze, swimming is still the best when it comes to burning calories. In just one workout you can hit multiple energy systems, work every muscle in your body, expand your cardio and even work on firing your fast twitch muscle fibers (if you still have any left). Jeff Strahota, 36, of University of Maryland Aquatics loves swimming in 2017 because, “I still get to burn calories like it’s 1999! Great workouts of both quality AND quantity help keeping me fit and trim!”

A healthy, competitive outlet: Competing at meets and racing old friends and teammates is possibly of the best outlets for masters swimmers there is. What’s fun now about racing is that for many of us, the pressure to perform at a high level is reduced, if not gone completely. You can focus on the fun of travelling to a meet, seeing your friends do well or racing new competitors as you “age up.” For many masters swimmers, racing becomes a family event and it’s always pretty cool being able to show your kids that you’ve still “got it.”

2017 is the best year to improve technique: It is no secret that the times in swimming are getting faster and faster. When you watch swimming on TV or YouTube, you will notice the near flawless technique that these athletes are using. One of the best things about swimming in 2017 is the availability of resources to help you improve your own technique. Underwater video of the best strokes, starts, turns, dolphin kicking, pull-outs has never been more easily available than right now. “With more educational opportunities and more coaching resources, the quest for the best technique may finally come to a close!” said Jeff Strahota.

Setting new goals: What is extremely motivating about being a masters swimmer in 2017 is the constant feedback you are able to receive when you train or compete. In addition to the health benefits and friends we get from swimming, a major motivating factor is the goal setting process. Being able to set long term goals and then break them down into daily habits - is one of the most motivating things in life. Dan Phillips put it best, “Masters Swimming is great every year because it challenges me to both keep learning and to apply those lessons. I can't think of many other parts of my life that have such a clear feedback loop for efforts and results.”

Did you like this article? Contact SwimSpray and let us know what you want to learn more about. Check out our "Chlorine, Hair and Skin Blog" to read articles and tips about how to protect your hair and skin from the smell, itch and discomfort that results from swimming in chlorinated water. In the mean time, we at SwimSpray are excited to learn more about you and your “SwimSpray story." Please contact us and share yours. Maybe you will be the next feature in our SwimSpray Blog!

In an age where the term "all natural" plays an important role in how people make healthy choices for their bodies--we at SwimSpray feel it is important to explain exactly what this means for SwimSpray users in the context of chlorine neutralization.

SwimSpray is an all natural product. We do not add preservatives or fragrances.

Accordingly, SwimSpray has a slight amber color and a slight but noticeable scent. Both the color and scent are safe and "normal" aspects of our all-natural product.

"Smells like Pennies"The sensitivity of a person's olfactory receptors determines if one can even detect a smell in SwimSpray. Additionally, since users rinse SwimSpray off after using it, most do not detect any smell at all. However, some people have described a slight "metallic," "toasted," or "burnt" smell, depending on their perception. Either way, this faint scent is due to the natural "browning reactions" of organic molecules, (Chemical terminology). Browning reactions are well known to people in the culinary arts who often induce the browning intentionally by heating foods or ingredients. Chemically, these browning processes are due to "Malliard" reactions. Within the context of SwimSpray, customers should understand that the smell is NOT an indication of metal or harmful chemicals but rather an indication of exactly the opposite -- natural organic oxidation of an all-natural molecule.

Why don't we add a scent? SwimSpray has purposely chosen not to add anything extra to the product to avoid creatin, a potential source of irritation. There are many products on the market to help you smell good. Only one product breaks chlorine's bond with your body.

"Why is SwimSpray sometimes brownish in color?"The same natural properties cause the amber color that is observed in SwimSpray. Check out the FAQ section on the Swimspray.com website for more information as well. Again our answer is because SwimSpray is made with all natural vitamin C. We do not add preservatives. As a result, SwimSpray will react with the oxygen in the air, just like apples, avocados, orange juice, and other fresh foods. It may turn brown or yellow over time. Again, these observations are due to Malliard reactions. Here, we make sure to include plenty of vitamin C, so that even the small amount of oxidation causing the observed browning does not lessen SwimSpray's effectiveness. Use SwimSpray and then shower with your favorite shampoo or soap for best results...and you will come out #cleanofchlorine and you don't have to forfeit your favorite scented shampoo or soap in the process.

Why is Dr. Chadeayne's SwimSpray Patent so special?This year the U.S. Government granted Dr. Chadeayne a patent on SwimSpray. What does this mean? It means that SwimSpray is different and better than any other chlorine removing technology available. Have you noticed that no other chlorine removal products are patented? SwimSpray technology works.

Bottom line: I suspect that these cartridges provide chlorine-free water for the lifetime of the cartridge. But, given the mass of the cartridge, I highly doubt that it provides enough vitamin C to provide any other of vitamin C's benefits, such as anti-aging, etc..

Here's the problem. Showing the real data is almost impossible because SwimSpray is so much better than the other products. To use the swimming race analogy, in a 50 meter pool, the nearest competitor would be less than 2 meters down the pool when SwimSpray finishes. In other words, even Katie Ledecky doesn't dominate the competition like this.

The New Year is always a perfect time to begin new routines which focus on health and beauty. With that in mind, we caught up with Chloe Sutton to find out what she recommends as an active swimmer, instructor, student and business woman.

What are Chloe’s Top 5 Beauty Routines? Here is what she told us:

Use Coconut Oil: I am constantly bathing in pool chemicals. So, to protect my hair and skin from getting dry and brittle, I take a small amount of the Trader Joe’s Organic Virgin Coconut Oil and coat my hair and skin with a thin layer. This helps prevent the chemicals from penetrating and leaves my hair feeling soft and healthy.

Moisturize: Ever since I moved to the amazing state of Colorado, I’ve realized how important it is to keep my skin moisturized. I can tell the difference when I let my skin get too dry. I use CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion with SPF in the morning and their PM lotion at night on my face. On my body I use the CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion to keep my skin protected and moisturized. Don’t forget to moisturize your lips too with a lip balm. I love Burt’s Bees!

Remove the Chlorine From My Hair and Skin:The only product that is scientifically proven to break the bond of chlorine is SwimSpray. It’s a simple product that actually works. Without it, I feel like I’m carrying around the odor and weight of the pool chemicals all day. My hair feels flat and my skin feels tight. So, I spray SwimSpray on my skin and hair after every practice, right before I shower, and then rinse it off with my favorite shampoo and body wash. My skin can breathe, I don’t smell like chlorine, and my hair feels softer. I’ve tried all the fancy chlorine shampoos, but SwimSpray is simply better.

Hydrate: “Water is the essence of moisture. Moisture is the essence of beauty.” Even though this quote by Derek Zoolander in the movie Zoolander, is supposed to be a joke, water really is important in a beauty routine! Moisturizing your skin isn’t just about putting on lotion; you have to hydrate your skin from the inside out. Drink as much water as possible and watch the color of your urine. The lighter, the better.

Exfoliate: A gentle exfoliation once a week can clear away dead skin and dirt that gets stuck in your pores. I usually exfoliate on Sundays since I know I don’t swim that day and my skin can recover. The key word here is GENTLE. You don’t want to scrub your skin raw. I mix a half cup of sugar with a half cup of coconut oil to scrub not only my face, but also the rest of my body.

With my beauty routine to take care of my skin and hair, you don’t need any fancy products laden with chemicals. Just use what works!